The Adventurer
by Sirius-love1981
Summary: Samantha Scamander had always had a taste for adventure. She had always known that was who she was. But of course, people can be more than one thing. She could be a healer, a warrior, and an adventurer. But what will it take for her to finally embrace these other parts of herself? A series of unexpected events and one exceedingly annoying boy. [Marauders Era][AU][SBxOC]
1. 1

**Chapter 1**

The grass was still dewy beneath her bare feet as she padded her way through the forest. She was well aware of the dangers that lurked amongst the trees and the whispers of ancient magic that dwelled within, however the call of adventure pulled her ever deeper into the mysterious wood. She breathed in the fresh morning mist and watched as the sun began to rise behind the distant mountains, painting the world with its brilliance and warmth.

The young girl could hear a distant voice calling her name, her mother no doubt. With a sigh she picked two white daisies from the forest ground, placing one in her long blonde hair before wandering back.

Soon, an old, ivy ensnared, stone cottage nestled against the entrance to the woods came into view. She was home.

"Samantha! What have I told you about running off like that!" Her mother scolded. The older woman's dark, yet graying hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, and she wore a tea length pastel blue sundress that matched her pale blue eyes. The woman stood in the garden just beyond the house with her hands on her hips, her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips pulled down into a disapproving frown as she watched her daughter trot back towards their home.

"I brought you something!" The girl said brightly, arm out stretched with the other daisy in hand. Her mother's eyes softened and her frown was replaced by a sad smile.

"That was very kind of you," the woman said, "but you really shouldn't be wandering around in forest alone. It's dangerous." She said sternly. "Now, go inside and get washed up, we're going to go shopping for your school things today."

"Oh! I forgot!" Samantha said wide eyed before sprinting back to the cottage to get ready. Once showered and dressed she held her mother's hand as they aperated to the busy street full of magical shops.

After a few hours (and couple of ice cream cones) Samantha and her mother had collected everything needed for her first year of learning magic. Everything except for her school books. The door jingled as they entered the cluttered and crowded book shop. Samantha pulled out the list of required textbooks and began flitting about the shop picking them out one at a time. Her mother stood near the center of the room, amused by her daughters determination.

"She really takes after her father doesn't she?" Said a familiar voice. The tall man with blonde hair and hazel eyes watched with fond amusement as the young girl ran about from book case to book case, excitement shining in her pale blue eyes.

"In more ways than one." The woman replied to her husband. "Nice of you to finally join us Jack!" She said in mock annoyance, a smile playing on her lips.

"My meeting with that foreign ministry man ran a bit late." He said grimly. "Betty, things are getting worse." He said so softly that only his wife could hear.

The woman looked up to her husband. "How much worse?" She whispered.

"He's gaining power, but they have a good team there to fight off his followers for now. It's the panic that we need to worry about." He said quietly. She nodded.

"I think I got them all!" Said Samantha holding a very tall pile of books in her arms. "Oh... wait no, I still need to find Chadwick's Charms Volume I! Er- can you hang on to these? I'll be right back!" She said shoving the books into her parents arms and running off without waiting for a reply.

o0o0o0o

It was a few weeks later and little Samantha was finally walking into the school she had dreamed of attending since she was a small girl. She entered the marble doors flanked on either side by the founders and walked into a circular room topped by a glass cupola. Once inside the room, she looked up to see a wooden balcony running around them a floor above where the older students stood clad in blue and cranberry robes. The hall was otherwise empty, except for the giant carving of each of the school houses mascots. Samantha went with the other first years to stand against the wall and waited to be sorted.

One by one, the new students were called to stand on the symbol of the Gordian Knot set into the middle of the stone floor. One by one, they were each sorted by the giant stone carvings that came to life.

"Scamander, Samantha" Called a jolly plump woman with happy green eyes and wispy grey hair.

Samantha walked into the middle of the room, nervously playing with her fingers. She began to worry what would happen if none of the statues wanted her. But her fears were soon quelled, almost immediately.

The thunderbird began to flap its wings majestically and Samantha thought she may die of happiness. She was a thunderbird. An adventurer through and through. _Of_ _course_. But then she noticed movement of another statute. The Pukwudgie had raised its arrow into the air. A moment later she was startled by the sound of the roaring Wampus Panther.

And to think she was worried she wouldn't even have one house want her.

Now she had three to decide between. Now she had to decide which part of herself she would embrace; the adventurer, the healer, or the warrior.

She chose adventure.


	2. 2

**Chapter 2**

Samantha's first year at Ilvermorny was... not so wonderful.

She loved her classes and professors, and the school itself, but the students.. not so much. It wasn't that she didn't like them, per say, than it was that they didn't particularly like her.

Her parents had warned her that some may want to be friends with her only because of the last name which was famous for some reason or another. However, this did not happen. The students, whether because of her last name or not, found her odd. Though, to be fair, she was. She was always wandering off where she shouldn't, and even when she wasn't, her mind was still off in her own little world.

If the students in school had given Samantha a chance, they would have known what a fierce friend she was, but they didn't. Though, to be fair, she didn't put much effort into trying to make friends either.

Nevertheless, the following summer, Samantha made her way back to the old stone cottage that was her home. She returned brimming with new knowledge but seriously lacking in friendships.

She spent much of the summer as she always did, out and about in the woods by her home and being scolded by her worrisome mother. But towards the end of the summer they took a trip to England. Her father, Jack Scamander had to travel for work and brought his wife, Betty and daughter, Samantha along as well.

Samantha was under the impression this was going to be just a trip. She figured they would go for a few weeks, check out the sights, wait for her father to wrap up whatever boring matter he was dealing with at work, and then they would return to their cottage home and majestic forest back in the states.

It was the last week of August when her mother and father called her to the living room of the townhome they were currently residing for their extended stay

"Honey, we have something to tell you," her mother said patting the couch. Twelve-year-old Samantha looked with curiosity between her mother and fathers forced smiles. She sat next to her mother on the gold couch with the intricate design of birds and trees stitched into the fabric, and across from her father sitting in the matching armchair.

"What is this about?" Samantha asked.

Her father spoke this time, with sad eyes. She wondered what could cause him to look so sad. "Sami, we are not going to be returning to America." He said gravely.

"No.." she said in denial.

"Yes, I'm very sorry Sami." He said.

"No! B-but what about our house?! We can't just leave!" Samantha said eyes flashing to her mother to see if it was true.

"We've already sold the house, honey. We will be living here now." Her mother said soothingly.

Samantha wasn't feeling soothed. She felt angry. "We can't just LEAVE!" She said loudly jumping to her feet.

"Samantha!" Her father scolded, with a stern look. She sat back down on the couch, arms crossed over her chest. Jack looked at his daughter with empathy. "I didn't want this to happen, I didn't want to uproot you from our home. But there are things going on that require me to be here."

"Then why do we have to be here too!?" She said loudly and without thinking, gesturing to her self and her mother.

"I'm afraid that's my fault. I love you and your mother far too much for us to be parted." He said looking between the two of them with a smile.

"But how am I going to get to school?" She asked, a bit more calm.

Betty gave a small smile and pulled out a yellow envelope with green writing adorned with Samantha's name and current address. She handed it to her daughter whose brows were furrowed.

"What's this?" Sami said taking the envelope.

"Why don't you read it and find out," her father suggested.

Samantha pulled out the letter addressed to her with green ink "Dear Miss Scamander," she read, "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Her pale blue eyes were wide as she looked to her mother and father.

Her parents knew that the one silver lining of this move for their daughter would be the new school she would be attending. The new adventures that would be had.

"I don't have to go back to Ilvermorny?!" She asked happily.

Her parents chuckled. Her father shook his head, "Nope, you will be starting school here on September 1st." Samantha smiled wide.


	3. 3

**Chapter 3**

It had been a few days since Samantha's parents broke the news to her. She was still very sad that she wouldn't be returning to her old home, but ever the adventurer, couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts.

Samantha was bouncing with excitement as they took the floo network to Diagon Alley to buy her school supplies.

They had purchased her school robes, as well as all the miscellaneous items needed for potions and such. All that was left was books.

Samantha zipped around Flourish and Blotts, much like she had done the year before back in the American bookshop. "MOM. Did you know this book is written by grandpa?!?" Samantha exclaimed. She had found a copy of _Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them_ and was waving it around in the air wildly. Her mother merely smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Your grandpa is Newt Scamander?" Asked a boy with chin length shaggy black hair, grey eyes, and a British accent.

Samantha turned to the boy, "yes." She said before running off to grab the rest of her books, distracted along the way by all of the other, more interesting, titles. The boy followed.

"You're American?" The boy asked, "what are you doing here?"

Samantha turned from where she was to face the boy. He was a little taller than her but had to be about her age. "Yes I am, and I'm here trying to buy my school books." She said walking away.

Once again he followed.

Samantha's father returned from perusing Quality Quidditch Supplies and stood next to his wife. She nudged him to look at the exchange being had between their daughter and the black haired boy, "Someone seems friendly." She said with a smirk.

"Why are you buying your books here and not in America?" The black haired boy asked. He quickly realized he had to be specific in his questioning if he wanted the answers he was looking for.

"I don't live in America anymore." She said picking up the next book on her list, not looking at the boy. "I'm starting school here on September 1st."

"You're going to Hogwarts!?" The boy exclaimed with a bit more enthusiasm than she was really expecting.

"Um- yes?" she said hesitantly. She was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable by this nameless boy's questions.

"That's where I go to school! What year are you going to be?" He asked, obviously not picking up on her discomfort.

"Er- Well I'm twelve. I would have been a second year at Ilvermorny if I had stayed..." she said. The boy opened his mouth to speak again, probably to ask more prying questions. "I feel like you know an awful lot about me.. but I don't even know your name."

"Oh. I'm Sirius, Sirius Black. Second year, Gryffindor, Marauder, and coolest person you could ever meet.." he smirked as she scoffed, unimpressed. "And who are you?"

"Samantha Scamander, second year, Thunderbird, American, highly annoyed by all your questions." She replied.

"Sami! Have you made a friend?" Her father asked as he walked up to the two, a smirk on his face. She groaned internally in embarrassment.

"No." she replied at the same time Sirius enthusiastically said "YES!", grinning.

Jack looked amused by this new "Not-friend" she had made. Samantha had never had many friends. She had a few when she attend the No-Maj school when she was younger, but she hadn't made any at all her first year at Ilvermorny. And now, here she stood, just a few days before heading off the school, with a boy whose enthusiasm seemed to match her own.

"Well hello new friend of Sami's! Who might you be?" Jack asked the boy.

"Sirius, Sirius Black, Sir!" He said happily reaching out to shake the man's hand. Sirius could read the look of apprehension as the older man learned his last name. "Um I'm not like my crazy family... promise." He said with a sheepish smile scratching the back of his neck. Her father nodded in understanding. Samantha studied the boy and wondered what he meant.

"SIRIUS!" Screeched an older woman from across the shop.

Sirius groaned then turned to Samantha. "It was nice to meet you Samantha! Maybe I'll see you on the train!" He said smiling and waving goodbye to both her and her father.

"Well he seemed friendly!" Her father said after Sirius had left.

Samantha rolled her eyes. "He's annoying."

"I know, you two are just alike!" He chucked.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, offended.

"I'm just kidding, but he did seem nice enough." He said gabbing a few of the books from her arms.

"Hmph I dunno about that... but do you know what he meant about 'not being like his family'?" She asked.

Jack sighed and gently pulled his daughter to a quiet corner of the shop. "He is a _Black_. Sami, do you remember what I told you about the old wizard of families?"

"That there are some that hate no-majs?" She guessed.

"Yes, well to put it simply, you're new friend's family is one of those families." He said.

"He's not my friend" she grumbled.

"If you say so..." her father said with a smile as they walked back to the center of the store to find his wife.


	4. 4

**Chapter 4**

"Ughh!! Come on!!!" Samantha complained. "I don't wanna miss the train because of you old fogies!"

"Who are you calling an 'old fogie', missy?" Her mother said in mock anger.

"Sami, we're 30 minutes early. It's going to be okay." Jack said with a laugh as she hurried him and her mother along in Kings Cross station.

Eventually, they made it through to platform 9 3/4. "Now, you be good, okay Samantha? I don't want a flock of owls showing up saying you ran into some forbidden forest or something." Her mother said.

"Do you think there really is a forbidden forest?!" Samantha asked happily.

"Um-" her mothers words were cut short by a shaggy haired boy.

"Actually there is!!" He said excitedly.

At first, Samantha grinned, thrilled by this new information, then she turned to see the giver of said information and she was just annoyed.

"You again?" She said. "Don't you have anything better to do other than stalk me?" She asked.

He smirked, "not really." He turned to the girls mother and politely introduced himself.

"Well Sirius, I'm glad our Sami has such a wonderfully informed friend like you." Betty told the boy.

"He's not my friend." Samantha grumbled with her arms folded across her chest. Sirius ignored her protests.

"Happy to be of service!" he said brightly to her mother, before addressing the youngest Scamander. "I actually came over to invite you to sit with me and my friends on the train... if you want."

"Are they all as annoying as you?" She asked bluntly rolling her eyes.

"Well James is a close second, but the other two are relatively un-annoying." He answered. Samantha looked like she was considering it, but needed a bit more incentive. "Come on! You can sit with us and we can tell you all about the Forbidden Forest and the castle and the secret passages-"

"There are secret passages in the castle?!?" She said with more enthusiasm than Sirius had yet witnessed.

"Oh yeah! There's tons of cool stuff!" He said. "Soooo... will you sit with us?"

Silence...

"Samantha?" The boy asked.

"... fine."

Samantha said her last tearful goodbyes to her parents before heading toward the train with her trunk. "Sami! Over here!" Sirius Called.

She walked toward Sirius and he helped her with her trunk as she got onto the train. "Alright, this way!" He said leading her toward the end of the compartments.

"So who are your friends?" She asked trying to make conversation.

"Well, there's James, Remus, and Peter. They're all in Gryffindor too." He said. "Do you know what house you want to be in?"

"Well I don't really know much about y'alls houses. But back at Illvermorny, I was a Thunderbird: 'The Adventurers'" She said fondly. "What are all the houses here?"

"Well there's Gryffindor for the brave, Ravenclaw for the smart, Hufflepuff for the.. uh..hardworking, and Slytherin is for the cunning.. but most of them are crazy blood purists like my family, I'd stay away from them." He said.

"Blood purists? That's all those crazies that hate No-Majs, right?" She asked remembering what her father had told her in the bookshop about the boy's family.

"Er- what's a 'No-Maj'?" He asked.

"Oh. Uh I think you call them something different here.. muggies or something.." she trailed off trying to remember.

"Muggles?" Sirius guessed.

"Yes! That's the word!" She Exclaimed.

"Oh, well then yes. My whole family is full of those tossers. They hate anything to do with muggles, including muggle-borns." He said lowly.

"Oh. But... you're not like them?" She said with an encouraging smile. The annoyingly cheerful Sirius she had come to know in their brief time together had turned quite somber.

"I'm nothing like them." He said proudly, although he seemed to have something else weighing on his mind. "Ah and here we are!"

They came up to a compartment with three boys sitting around a large piece of parchment. It looked almost like a map.

"Who's this Sirius? New girlfriend?" Asked a smirking, gangly, black haired boy with rectangular glasses and hazel eyes.

"No." Samantha and Sirius answered together. The other sniggered.

"This is Samantha." Sirius announced to the group as the two of them sat down.

"Oh you're bookshop girl! The American!" Said a boy with sandy brown hair, a few freckles, brown eyes, and faint scars across his face.

"Um yes?" She replied. "And who are you?"

"I'm Remus Lupin." He said kindly.

"And I'm James Potter." Said the bespectacled boy from before. The boy now known as James nudged the last of the group with his elbow.

"Oh! I'm Peter Pettigrew," said a smaller boy with dirty blonde hair, and blue watery eyes.

"Well it's nice to meet you all!" She said sincerely. "Now, Sirius said you could tell me about a certain 'forbidden forest' and some secret passages. "

The boys all grinned mischievously. They liked this girl already.


	5. 5

**Chapter 5**

Samantha and the boys, or 'Marauders' as they liked to call themselves, had a surprisingly pleasant train ride. By the end of the trip she could confidently say that she had actually made friends with the boys... even Sirius.. though she wouldn't admit this out loud. She was thankful that their conversation had generally steered away from herself. She was already feeling terribly homesick for her family and for America.

The group eventually split up as Samantha boarded the boats with the first years. She climbed into the boat and was startled to see what looked like a little version of Sirius sitting beside her. He was younger and had shorter hair, but it was the same dark color, and his eyes were the same striking grey. The boy looked nervous.

"Hi, I'm Samantha Scamander." She said kindly. She could empathize with the boy given that she herself had been very nervous when she was first sorted at Illvermorny.

"Um- I'm Regulus Black." He said tentatively, as if he didn't trust the blonde girl.

"Oh! Do you know Sirius Black?" She asked with a smile.

"He's my brother.." he said looking away.

She thought it was odd that Sirius hadn't mentioned that he had a brother in all their hours together.

"Oh. Well, are you excited for the sorting? I'm a bit nervous myself being a transfer and all." She said honestly.

Regulus turned around intrigued by the girl. "You're a transfer? You're American, did you go to Illvermorny?"

"I did, for a year. When I got sorted a big statue of the Wampus panther roared at me and I almost peed my pants" she said laughing. "But I ended up being a thunderbird. I don't know what I'll be here." She said.

"I read that thunderbird is a lot like Slytherin. That's what I'm going to be." He said smiling.

Samantha felt a little uneasy. Partly because she was getting seasick on the tiny boat that was now floating toward the castle, and partly because she really didn't want to be a Slytherin. From everything Sirius and the others had told her, it was a bit sketchy. She also worried about the sweet boy on the boat with her joining them. She had a feeling that if they really were as bad an influence as Sirius had said, that he would inevitably be changed.

"Well I was personally hoping for Gryffindor, but I think Slytherin could be nice if I had a friend like you around." She said genuinely. Regulus smiled but looked conflicted. "Selfishly, I hope you get put into Gryffindor with me." She smiled with a wink.

"I can't be a Gryffindor." He said in a very rehearsed tone of voice.

"Why not?" She asked.

"My parents would be upset," He said with a shiver, "they were furious when Siri got sorted there."

"Oh. That's understandable. But at the end of the day, it's your life isn't it? It's you're decision, not theirs?" Samantha questioned.

"I-I mean.. I guess." Regulus replied looking down at the floor of the boat. "If I'm a Slytherin and you're not, will you still be my friend?" He asked looking up at the blonde haired pale blue eyed girl.

"Absolutely!" She smiled bumping shoulders with the boy.

After a few more minutes, the boats docked and the first years, plus Samantha, made their way to the castle. Eventually, they stepped into the great hall. It was incredible. The twinkling stars and the night sky were reflected in the enchanted ceiling, candles floating above their heads. Samantha, walking alongside Regulus, caught the eye of her four new friends sitting at a table beneath scarlet banners. They waved at her and she waved back with a wide happy smile. She caught the eye of Sirius who looked happy, but confused about why she was walking alongside his brother.

Regulus looked like he was trying very hard to be brave. 'He really could be a Gryffindor.' Thought Samantha. She watched as he looked up to his big brother and gave a subtle wave and small smile. Sirius's face lit up immediately. He waved and grinned back.

Now began the sorting.

Up at the front of the hall, next to a woman with a stern expression in green robes, lay a brown, dusty, and very old witches hat upon a wooden three legged stool.

The hat sang some strange song about following your own destiny and then one by one the students were called up alphabetically to be sorted by the grimy hat.

Regulus was one of the first.

He walked calmly up to the stool, and after a long while, the hat finally came to a decision...


	6. 6

**Chapter 6**

"GRYFFINDOR."

The hall was silent.

Everyone was shocked.

Regulus looked like he was about to cry.

"SHAME!" Yelled a deranged looking older girl from the Slytherin table.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Called another voice.

"DISGRACE!" Yet another Slytherin cried out.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Screamed Sirius, standing from his seat at the Gryffindor table.

Dumbledore coughed subtlety and gave them all a look that shut them right up.

Sirius tried to wave his brother over to where he was sitting, grinning wide, eyes bright and happier than anyone Samantha had ever seen.

Regulus looked to Samantha, still in line waiting be sorted. She smiled and gave him a thumbs up and tried to gesture for him to sit with his brother.

He did... hesitantly.

A few more Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, a bunch of Slytherins, and couple of Hufflepuffs were sorted before they finally reached Samantha.

"Scamander, Samantha!" Called the stern Scottish woman. There were hushed whispers around the hall as Samantha walked up to the hat.

'Ah! A transfer I see! You were a thunderbird, yes.. but you could have been something else. You would do well in Slytherin, maybe even Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. But it's the bravery within you that stands out the most..' the hat said within her mind as it was placed upon her head.

'Gryffindor, please put me in Gryffindor.' She thought politely as she could.

'Ah I shall place you where you should be placed. I do not make mistakes. But lucky for you, Gryffindor just might do, but then again Slytherin may too.' Said the hat in a rather annoying sing-songy voice.

An agonizingly silent beat passed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

She took the hat off and ran toward her friends at the Gryffindor table. She gave little Regulus a big hug, and was about to hug Sirius as well, but stopped herself.

Throughout dinner Regulus was quiet. Sirius could tell that this was not what his little brother had expected to happen, it _most certainly_ was _not_ what Sirius had expected. He had of course hoped that Regulus would join him in his rebellion against his parents and their twisted morals, but never dreamed that he actually would. Regulus feared his parents much more than Sirius. He craved the love of their mother and conceded to her ideals to achieve it. Or so Sirius thought.

The truth was that Regulus had always looked up to Sirius. He had wanted his parents approval, of course, but his brother was the one who loved him most. Sirius was the one who hugged him and who consoled him when his parents would yell at him. Sirius was the one who would always take the blame to spare him the painful punishment. Sirius was the one who would read to him before bed and stay by his side all night long when he had nightmares. Sirius was his best friend. It broke Regulus's heart to watch as his parents unleashed their disapproval on his big brother when he was sorted into Gryffindor. He wanted to be just like the brave boy who was his best friend and brother.

However, the year he had spent at home alone with his parents while Sirius was off at his first year at Hogwarts made him feel afraid and trapped. It made him believe that he had no other option than to follow his family and become a Slytherin.

When he first sat on the stool waiting to be sorted he genuinely believed he would be sorted into Slytherin almost immediately... but this was not the case.

The hat was torn between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The choice was up to Regulus. If he had not encountered Samantha on the boat, he would have immediately chosen Slytherin, without hesitation. But alas, he _did_ and thus his choice was not so immediate. He wrestled with the idea of what would happen, of how his parents would react if he joined his brother in Gryffindor. He knew it would be awful. But then he remembered what Samantha had said. It was _his_ choice. _His_ life. He realized that even though he would be ostracized by his family, he would still have his brother.. and Samantha. He became tearful knowing consequences of his decision to go against his parents, but in the end he knew it was the right choice. And so, with every ounce of bravery he had within him, he told the hat _Gryffindor_.

"Reg. I'm- I'm just so proud of you." Sirius said with tears of happiness pooling in his eyes as he side-hugged his brother tightly. "I won't let _anyone_ hurt you. Not mum or dad or crazy cousin Bella. No one." He said sternly, clenching his jaw. "You have all of us on your side now. My friends are yours now, okay?" Regulus nodded with a watery smile.

 **AN: Aw I just love little Reg so much! ️**

 **I know that I've changed kind of a gigantic bit of cannon, but I really want to explore what it could have been like if Regulus actually went to Gryffindor.**


End file.
